


Don't Let Me Be Gone

by Cocopops1995



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Fluffy Ending, Gen, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Lost of crying, Platonic Cuddling, and he's gonna get one gosh darn it, my first time writing lance, response to his paladin vlog, that vlog messed me up so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 14:31:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12170757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cocopops1995/pseuds/Cocopops1995
Summary: Lance comforts Keith after watching Keith's paladin vlog.





	Don't Let Me Be Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Highly recommended that you listen to "Goner" by Twenty-One Pilots while reading this for the full effect.

When Lance saw Keith storm out of the designated vlog room, he knew something was wrong. It he had no idea what could have upset Keith, so he went into the room and watched Keith’s vlog. 

What he saw and heard left him absolutely shell-shocked. He didn’t - he’d never thought. He’d always thought Keith’s temper was just him being a stuck-up jerk. But now… Oh, man he’d been so wrong. So, so very wrong. He needed to do something about it. Now.

He pushed up from the chair and hurried out of the vlog room, determined to find Keith. The first place he checked was the training room, but Keith wasn’t there. The next place he checked was Black’s hangar, but he wasn’t there either. Lance thought he might have gone to Red instead, but a quick mental check-in with her told him that Keith wasn’t there either. So Lance went to check his room. He hoped Keith was there because he had no idea where else Keith would go. Maybe to Shiro. But things had been weirdly off between them lately.

There was no answer when Lance knocked on Keith’s door, and Lance thought he’d struck out again. But then he heard a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob from Keith’s room. Normally Lance would leave Keith alone, because if Keith didn’t answer then he probably wanted to be left alone, right? Well, that was probably still true, but Lance couldn’t in good conscience leave Keith to cry on his own after watching his blog. No way. Lance did not operate that way. So palmed the pad next to Keith’s door and waited for it to slide open. 

The sight that greeted him nearly broke his heart. 

Keith was curled up on his bed, facing the opposite wall with his back pressed against the wall that his bed was against. His arms were wrapped around his legs and he was sobbing into his knees. 

Lance quickly stepped inside and let the door slide closed. Keith was going to be mad enough that he came in and Lance didn’t think he’d be able to handle more than one person right now. Lance took a deep breath.

“Keith.”

Keith froze for a moment at the sound at his voice.

Then: “Go away.” he choked out, not bothering to lift his head. 

“Yeah, not gonna happen.” Lance said in as much of a matter of fact tone as he could manage.

Then Keith did lift his head, eyes wide with tears still streaming from them. “What?” he croaked, sounding genuinely confused.

Lance shrugged, “I’m not gonna go away.” he answered, “In fact, I’m going to sit down right here.”  
He sat down next to Keith, pulling his legs up to his chest to mirror Keith’s position. 

Keith watched his every move with wide, confused eyes, and Lance couldn’t help but think that Keith looked just like a sad, lost puppy right then.

“Why?” Keith asked, confusion still colouring his tone.

Lance shrugged, “Because you’re crying alone in your room. And you’re my friend. And I don’t leave my friends to cry alone in their rooms.”

Keith stared for moment and then looked away and said: “You don’t have to stay. I’m fine.”

Lance couldn’t help rolling his eyes, “Obviously you’re not.” Then he sighed, “Look, don’t be mad, but I watched your vlog.”

The look that Keith gave Lance in response to that was one of pure hurt and betrayal.

Lance raised his hands and rushed to explain, “I know they’re supposed to be personal. But I saw you leave the vlog room and you looked so upset. I just wanted to know what could have made you so mad and…” Lance paused to take a deep breath, “And I’m sorry, Keith. For every time I called you a jerk, or made fun of you. For your mom. For everything that’s happened to you. I’m so sorry.”

Keith’s eyes had gone wide again, and Lance could see the fresh tears brimming his eyes as he blinked at Lance like a deer caught in headlights. Then he covered his mouth with his hand and squeezed his eyes shut as he let out a harsh sob. 

Lance began moving without even thinking about it, years of comforting his siblings, nephews, nieces, and cousins guiding him as he wrapped one arm around Keith’s shoulders and pulled him in so that he could cry into Lance’s shoulder. Lance lifted his other hand and began softly stroking Keith’s hair and started murmuring soft, comforting things to him. 

Lance’s own tears began to fall, but he worked to keep his voice calm and steady for Keith. He couldn’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for Keith; having no one to comfort him when he was sad as he grew up. He wondered if Shiro had been the only person to take a real interest in Keith since his mom left him. Lance wouldn’t be surprised if he was. Hadn’t Keith said that Shiro was the only one who’d never given up on him? Suddenly a lot of Keith’s behavior during the time when Shiro was missing made a whole lot of sense. 

He’d been in so much pain, but hadn’t said anything about it. And what had Lance done? He’d yelled at Keith and probably made things worse. What kind of a friend, or paladin, was he if he couldn’t even see when one of his friends was in so much pain? No wonder Blue didn’t want him to fly her anymore. He needed to do better. He would do better.

Lance didn’t know how long he sat with Keith, long enough for Keith’s sobs to die down to sniffles and for Lance’s own tears to dry, when there was a soft knock on Keith’s door. The fact that the door slid open without waiting for an answer told Lance that Hunk was at the door before he even saw Hunk standing there. 

Keith tensed in his arms but made no move to pull away. 

“Oh man,” Hunk said softly.

“What?” Pidge’s voice sounded from behind Hunk, “What’s wrong? Is he okay?”

Hunk stepped aside and Pidge stepped into the room as well, her eyes widening as she took in the scene in front of her. 

“Oh.” she said.

Lance gave them a small, sad smile, “You guys watched it too, huh?”

Pidge and Hunk nodded, both looking sheepish and worried.

Keith drew in a big breath at Lance’s words, he shoulders jerking in Lance’s arms. Lance started rubbing his back.

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Lance murmured to Keith, “They’re just worried. It’s okay.”

Keith slowly let his breath out again, his body relaxing ever so slightly. 

Lance glanced back up at Hunk and Pidge and motioned for them to join him and Keith with his head. 

Pidge was there in a second, pressing against Keith’s other side and wrapping her arms around his waist. Hunk studied them for a moment before motioning with his finger for them to move around. 

Lance got what he wanted immediately, and Pidge seemed to as well, and soon they had moved, with Keith still sandwiched between them, so that they were now facing the foot of Keith’s bed. Hunk made a pleased sound and moved to sit leaning against the wall at the head of Keith’s bed, and then pulled them all back to lie against his chest. 

For a moment none of them spoke; Lance, Hunk, and Pidge lending Keith their support in silence. But then Keith’s breathing turned ragged and wet as he started crying once again. 

Lance tightened his hold on Keith and started murmuring to him again. On the other side, Pidge tightened her grip on him as well. Behind them Hunk started humming a Samoan lullabye. 

This time Keith calmed much faster than before, and Lance thought he might actually have fallen asleep. That didn’t mean he was about to leave, though. Pidge and Hunk seemed to be of the same mind, shifting to get more comfortable in their respective spots. Lance closed his eyes and soon he drifted off as well. 

That’s how Shiro found them sometime later. A pile of paladins with Keith sandwiched in the middle, all fast asleep. He let the door slide closed again, the image of his sleeping friends warming his heart and drawing a smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Like my work? Please consider [buying me a coffee](https://ko-fi.com/W7W3KRCZ) :)


End file.
